Looking Back at Big Skies Week 2025

Posted on 3rd July 2025

Monday 23rd to Friday 27th June 2025

Last week at Norwich High School for Girls, it was Big Skies Week for our Senior School and Sixth Form students. Held annually at the end of June, this special week is all about providing enriching activities, trips and opportunities that go beyond the regular curriculum.

Our goal for Big Skies Week is to give students a memorable and impactful end to the academic year. It’s a chance to grow, build relationships and learn new things in a fun and engaging way. Last week’s packed schedule included exciting trips to Normandy and Amsterdam, excursions across Norfolk, wellbeing days, self-defence classes, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and so much more! Read on for the highlights.

Monday

Year 7 – Ranworth Broad and Carr Farm

Year 7 visited Ranworth Broad and Carr Farm, which gave a very real insight into natural and Human pressures on the Norfolk landscape, be they from freshwater succession ever encroaching on the Broads or meeting the challenges of conserving our landscape whilst maximising food production too. The cohort spent the morning at Ranworth and then visited Carr Farm in the afternoon. We were given an insightful talk by Mr Hirst into the opportunities of diversification in farming and the challenges of our changing climate and the political pressures facing the farming system. We had fantastic weather and the year group were a credit to themselves and the school.
Mrs McKay

Year 9 – Great Yarmouth

Year 9 enjoyed a varied and exciting day out to Great Yarmouth as part of their start to Big Skies Week on Monday. Students spent half a day at the Marina Centre and the other half a day at souvenir shops and arcades, with fish and chips as well as ice cream provided in between. At the Marina Centre, Year 9 were able to engage in either Aqua Play – slides, diving boards and other water-based fun – or ‘Clip n’ Climb’, a rope based activity on colourful climbing walls, while at the arcades students had a rollicking time on a host of fun machines, as well as the chance to secure some seaside souvenirs. The weather was perfect – sunny, but not too hot – and the students represented themselves and the school admirably.
Mr Mangham

Year 10 – Beyond Day

Year 10 had a fantastic day to start their Big Skies Week, engaging in a breadth of life skills and well being activities at school. Viking Combatives gave a taster session into self-defence skills, East Anglian Air Ambulance delivered emergency CPR skills, Mr Horne led the gardening and outdoor learning at Dingly Dell and we decorated cookies and painted stones to give us some balance and ‘time out’ during the day. Thank you to the girls for immersing themselves in the sessions and for the staff team for making it happen.
Mrs Hood

Tuesday

Year 7 – Castle Acre

Year 7 had a fantastic day visiting three medieval sites at Castle Acre in Norfolk. Students listened attentively and completed all independent tasks with enthusiasm. We started at the castle itself, which was built in the 1080s by William de Warenne (the first Earl of Surrey). The students applied their knowledge of the Norman Conquest and castle construction from our History lessons this year to make sense of the site and its changing nature over time.

After lunch and the traditional photo opportunity on the castle bridge, we made the short walk to the Church of St. James the Great. Churchwarden David spoke to the students about the history of the church and what the experience of ‘going to church’ in the medieval period would have been like. The students were fascinated by the original font, the 14th century sacristy key and we were even allowed to ring the church bell! The students asked really perceptive questions and really got to grips with the importance of religion to medieval people.

Our final stop was at the Priory. The students learned about the Cluniac community that was founded at the end of the 11th century and thrived until its dissolution during the reign of Henry VIII. The students explored the evocative ruins and enjoyed a well-deserved ice-cream at the visitor centre before our departure. It was the perfect link between our medieval curriculum in Year 7 and the work we will do on the Tudors / the Reformation in the autumn term of next year.

Overall, the students were a credit to themselves and the school and I could not have been prouder of their conduct. It was a really super day!
Mr Nightingale

Year 9 – Creative Arts Day

Year 9s and a smattering of Year 8s had the fantastic opportunity of working with three artists on the Tuesday of Big Skies Week. Working with the theme of shadows, students firstly undertook a creative writing workshop led by artist and writer Daisy Campbell to create shadow poems. Students enthusiastically engaged and the resulting poems were read out by students throughout the day.

The main task of the day was for students to then create a piece of artwork on a 60cm circular format using shadows of their profile and hands interspersed with personally generated objects and patterns to break up the surface of their circle. Colour and line added to the imagery were influenced by stained glass windows.

Artists Andy Campbell and Louise Richardson worked closely with the students in the development of their compositions. Further inspiration was delivered by Louise Richardson in the form of a presentation of her own work in the afternoon. Students engaged fully with the workshop and developed some fantastic outcomes. Well done to all those involved.
Mr Life

Year 10 – Adventure Day Thetford

Year 10 spent their Tuesday competing in teams in a host of activities from archery, forest navigation, cross bow and air rifle shooting as well as a military scenario team building exercise testing their ability to interpret instructions and find solutions in a testing environment. They worked well together encouraging and offering support to each other as well as that competitive edge. We ended the day in a fabulous tug of war competition crowning team four the ultimate winners – perhaps a future sports day event in the making?
Miss Jolly

Wednesday

Royal Norfolk Show Day

On Wednesday, the school was closed for our traditional Royal Norfolk Show Day. Thank you to our Sixth Form helpers who did a great job assisting in our marquee at the Showground, helping with refreshments, music and crafting activities. It was great to spend time with current and former students, parents, staff and the wider community.

Mrs Beck

Thursday and Friday

Year 7 – Warner Bros. Studios – the Making of Harry Potter

On Thursday, Year 7 travelled to the famous Warner Bros. Studio Tour. We arrived at the venue with a sense of great excitement for a day of creative exploration and design inspiration. As a fabulous extension to their learning in Product Design, students began with a hands-on model-making workshop, learning how scale, texture and structure are used in the film industry to bring magical environments to life. They then explored the iconic sets, costumes and props from the Harry Potter films – from the Great Hall to Diagon Alley – gaining behind-the-scenes insight into how these elements are imagined and constructed. The students were able to experience green screen special effects first hand with a ‘trip on a broomstick’. The experience offered a fantastic opportunity to see professional design in action and sparked lots of curiosity and enthusiasm. It certainly was a magical day!
Mrs Ryan

Year 7 – Natural History Museum

After an overnight stay, Year 7’s visit to the Natural History Museum in London on Friday as the final part of Big Skies Week was a fascinating and enriching experience for all involved. Students explored a wide range of exhibits, from the dramatic Earthquake Simulator and volcanic rock displays to the sparkling collection of minerals and gemstones. The Human Evolution Gallery prompted thoughtful questions, while the mammal hall—with its towering blue whale model—captivated everyone. Unsurprisingly, the ever-popular dinosaur exhibit, including the animatronic T. rex, was a firm favourite. Throughout the day, students were inquisitive, engaged and excellent ambassadors for the school. We couldn’t leave without a quick stop at the gift shop, where many took home mementoes of an unforgettable trip.
Mrs Eagle

Year 9 – Mousehold Conservation Day

A twenty strong group of Year 8 and 9 students set forth on to Mousehold Heath for a day of conservation work under the expert guidance of Will Stewart, the warden for this area. After a walk out to the end of St James’ Hill to take in the impressive view of the city, it was off to the heathland area behind Zaks where we set too pulling up the invasive bracken to give the heather beneath it a chance of flowering later in the summer. It was hot work but before long we had cleared an impressive area. Lunch was followed by ice creams and then a fascinating historical tour of the heath given by our own Mr Jones. Well done everyone for making a difference and helping to maintain the fragile balance of this special acid heathland lying on our doorstep.
Mr O Hall

Year 10 and Year 12 – Work Experience

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the employers who generously hosted our Year 10 and 12 students for their work experience placements this week. Their support and willingness to share their time and expertise have given our students invaluable insights into the world of work. We would also like to thank the parents and carers for their help in arranging transport and supporting their children throughout the week. These experiences are instrumental in helping our students develop confidence and essential skills for the future. We truly appreciate your continued support.
Dr Thorndycroft

Year 12 – Amsterdam Trip

Students in Year 12 took part in a cultural trip to Holland from Monday to Friday. Based in Amsterdam, the group visited several world-class museums, including the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Mauritshuis in The Hague. We marvelled at Rembrandt’s enormous Night Watch, Vermeer’s exquisite Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Van Gogh’s evocative Sunflowers, among many other fantastic works spanning a wide range of periods and styles. Highlights included a modern-day exhibition on protest and a fun-filled experience at the Upside Down and Stedelijk museums.

Students also enjoyed a boat tour of Amsterdam, a walking tour of The Hague and a leisurely stroll around the beautiful Zaanse Schans.

The Anne Frank House stood out as a particularly sombre and poignant experience. Meanwhile, water park fun at Duinrell’s Tikibad brought out the most daring students, who whooshed and whizzed their way down an assortment of thrilling rides.
Mrs Packer

Lower 6 Media Captain Kate said:

“During Big Skies Week, the Lower 6 embarked on an action-packed trip to Amsterdam. We departed Norwich airport early on Monday morning and, after a quick 45-minute flight, arrived in the heart of the Netherlands.
Our first visit was to the world-famous Rijksmuseum where we saw a vast collection of Dutch art from many iconic artists such as Vermeer and Van Gogh.
Day two was even busier, with multiple museums and an idyllic canal cruise in the evening. During this, we were immersed in the heart of Dutch culture, surrounded by beautiful houseboats and stunning architecture.
Between our visits each day, we took advantage of our free-time, exploring the city in smaller groups which allowed us to try Amsterdam’s famous cuisine and purchase souvenirs.
Later in the trip, we took a coach to the Hague for a walking tour of the city. For a welcome change of pace that afternoon, we headed to the Tiki Pool and Waterpark to let off some steam and gain some well-earned rest.
Overall, this trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all and we are extremely grateful to the school for organising such an incredible experience.”

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